The Raider ACE!

Volume 1 Issue 26 - March 2, 2024 - February 23, 2024

Here are four reasons our Champion Raiders need great teachers.

1. Personal Growth and Development: A great teacher can help students to develop their own unique talents, interests and passions. They can also provide guidance and support as students navigate the ups and downs of growing up and finding their place in the world.

2. Preparation for the Future: A great teacher can help students prepare for their future by teaching them not only the academic skills they need, but also life skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. A great teacher can also serve as a mentor and role model, helping students to develop a strong sense of self and the confidence they need to succeed in their future careers and personal lives.
   

3. Encouragement and Empowerment: A great teacher can provide students with the encouragement and empowerment they need to believe in themselves and their abilities. They can help students to set achievable goals and then support them in reaching those goals, instilling in them a sense of pride and accomplishment.

4. Creation of a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment: A great teacher can create a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel valued and respected. They can foster an atmosphere of trust and understanding, where students feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and exploring new ideas. Such an environment is essential for student growth, both academically and emotionally.

Let's be great teachers for our students. Every opportunity we have to stand in front of our students, is an opportunity to prepare them to go out and change the world!

We are W.J. Keenan High School. Home of the Champion Raiders!

There are a few things that we will need to make sure we are doing to keep the natural order and flow of our school:

• School starts at 8:00 a.m. Remind students they need to report to class before then to avoid a tardy.
• Stand at your door during the change of each class.
• You must not leave your students unsupervised for any reason.
• Please do not allow students into the hallway without a pass.
• Please do not allow students that are not on your roster in your classroom. Students need to be in their scheduled classroom to receive credit. You are accountable for every student in your room.
• You may only sign out to leave on your planning period and/or with administrator approval in an emergency circumstance if you do not have a scheduled absence.
• If you are absent from school, it is your professional responsibility to input the appropriate information in Frontline in a timely manner. Substitutes are limited. Please check Munis prior to doing this so you are aware of your available days for an absence.

Monday, February 26, 2024

• If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success. -James Cameron
• Varsity Boys BB (Third Round at home) @ 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

• PLC Meeting @ 3:30 p.m.
• Pageant Practice (Auditorium) @ 3:30 p.m.
  
• Varsity BBall Vs. Blacksburg (At Keenan / First Round of the Playoffs) @ 6:00 p.m.
• The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. -Walt Disney
  

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

• "Get busy living or get busy dying." — Stephen King
• National Honor Society Blood Drive 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  
• Exploring the Mind of an Engineer Middle School Visit (Perry, Sanders) (:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  
• Dance Theater of Columbia (Rehearsal) 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
  

Thursday, February 29, 2024

• "Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."– Thomas A. Edison
  

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• Teen Dating Violence Awareness Assembly 2:00 p.m.
• Dance Theater of Columbia (Rehearsal) 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday, March 1, 2024

• "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." — Mae West
  

• Dance Theater of Columbia (Rehearsal) 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
  

The South Carolina Career Ready Test is a career readiness test administered to all eleventh-grade students to measure the most common skills that employers define as foundational for career readiness. Students are assessed in four key areas:

• Soft Skills Assessment
• Math Assessment
• Reading Assessment
• Data Assessment

Dates to Remember:

March 12, 2024 - ACT

March 14, 2024 - End of Q3

March 15 - Teacher Workday

March 22 - Report Cards

March 15, 2024 - Teacher Workday

March 20, 2024 - SAT

March 25 - 27 - WIN Testing

March 28 - Early Release/Parent Conferences

March 29 - April 5 - Spring Break

April 24 - Interims

April 26 - Early Release

May 3- 22 End of Course exams

May - Holiday

May 31 - Graduation

End of Course

CFA's need to be provided once every three weeks to help inform your instructional work. Please see the district curriculum maps for this.

Content Recovery

"Content recovery is defined as a course-specific, skill-based learning opportunity for students who are still enrolled in the course with the original teacher of record assigned by the school. Content recovery allows students to retake a subset of the course including a single unit, more than one unit, or supplemental assignments/activities assigned and approved by a certified teacher as needed for student mastery of course content." -SC State Dept. of Education

You should be beginning your content recovery efforts with your students as soon as you see that there is a need. This is an on-going process throughout the semester. Students should not fail a course if we are doing this with fidelity. The platform we are using Richland One is Edgenuity. Please see Mrs. Jeter or myself for more information on Content Recovery.

District Focus/Visible Learning:

Teacher CLARITY is our instructional focus this year. According to John Hattie's meta-analysis, teacher clarity has an effect size of .75 which doubles student gains in learning. Here are the questions your students should be able to answer for clarity.

1. What am I learning? (Learning Intentions/Targets)
   

2. Why am I learning it? (Clarity & Motivation)

3. How will I know that I have learned it? (Success Criteria)

Each of these are non-negotiables and should be written on your board each day under the appropriate magnet and referred to for student understanding. Students should be able to answer these questions if called upon by the teacher.

Grading Practice:

Please be sure to access the Raiders Chest in One Drive for important information regarding the Secondary Grading Manual. See the information listed from the manual regarding grades:

"Each marking period should include a minimum of ten assignments/assessments of student learning documented in the gradebook/PowerSchool. Four of the ten assessments should be major assessments such as tests or exams, written compositions, performances, or projects. Five of ten assessments should occur before interim reports are issued, with two of those five assessments being major. Therefore, two of the four major assessments should occur prior to the interim report."

Certified Staff Certification/Recertification:

Renewal teachers/staff should have signed up for Read to Succeed if you have not taken the class. Information regarding this was sent out through District Announcements. You will also need to complete 120 hours to renew your certificate. If you have taken the Read to Succeed class and you need to have it added to your certificate, please sign into your educator portal on the SC state department of education website and upload it there.

https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/certification-forms/forms/renewal-matrix/

https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/professional/renewal-credit-options/

If you need a certificate extension, you need to request it in your portal on the SC state department website.

Have a great week Raiders!

School Photos

Please note the following dates for school photos:

• November 30—Fall Individuals makeup

Graduation 2024 Date Announced

This year’s Raider Graduation ceremony will be held Friday, May 31 at 11:00 am at the Colonial Life Arena. Seniors need to ensure they have met all requirements for graduation, pay any outstanding debts or fees and not have excessive discipline issues in order to participate.

Raider graduates are expected to conduct themselves with dignity, honor, and class. Inappropriate/disrespectful actions during the commencement ceremony WILL NOT be tolerated.

Keeping Seniors on Track

Class of 2024 students are meeting with school leaders to help them stay on track and be successful. Seniors are meeting with the Graduation Coach (Mrs. DuBard), School Counselors (Mrs. Hasinger, Ms. Humphrey and Mr. Oliver), and Mr. Hankins (Senior Class Administrator) to discuss their progress, requirements, future college/career goals, and plans for the year. All conferences are aimed at helping students be prepared to successfully graduate and meet their future goals.

Raider Community Student Support

Teachers and staff, we need your assistance in providing support for our young Raider students. Through our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, we are aiming to give our students the tools they need to be successful.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a school-wide, data driven, proactive framework for improving both learning and behavioral outcomes for all students. MTSS uses the problem-solving process to meet the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of each student. (https://www.richlandone.org/Domain/1736)

You may be asked to sit in on MTSS meetings as a classroom teacher, serve as a mentor, advocate or content expert for students. The goal is to surround students with as many caring adults and resources as possible to allow students to thrive. Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation.

We have transitioned from a Magnet School to a School within a School. The Raider Academy is a new approach to college and career readiness designed to give students the foundation to make a difference in the world!

The Raider Academy at W. J. Keenan High School provides five houses through which students may choose. Students will have multiple opportunities to prepare for careers that are in high demand and require advanced skills. We offer a leadership curriculum that includes a rigorous project-based classroom experience that challenges students to gain future-ready competencies. The Raider Academy students will have advantages that include the opportunity to receive college credit, state and nationally recognized industry certifications, work-based learning opportunities and internships.

Coming Soon: Information Technology Pathway

Remember our expectations are:

• 70 or above in ALL classes
• No behavior issues
• No attendance issues

Probation letters and final probation letters will be going out this week. A new semester has begun. Please remember to check Parent Portal for grades. We have afterschool tutoring and virtual tutoring using tutor.com

Letters of Intent for the 2024-2025 school year will be going out soon.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Mrs. Wine at Shalise.wine@richlandone.org

Teachers and staff, please help us keep our students and school safe by reporting to work by 7:30 (morning duty) or 7:45 am. Please be at your doors ready to receive students by 7:50 am.

Please be reminded if you are going to be absent, report your absence by:

1. Submitting your absence in Frontline (Aesop).

2. Sending an email that you will be out.

a. To: Mr. Hankins

b. CC: Ms. Erving and Mrs. McIntee

c. Subject: Your Name Absent Date of Absence (Ex: Jabar Hankins Absent 1/16/23)

3. Calling the school (if an emergency happens on your way to work).

Substitutes and staff members covering classes should arrive by 7:45 am.

Thanks for your cooperation and for all you do for our students.

Feedback From Observations: Focus on engaging students and having them do the work. Rather than standing up and writing on the smartboard as you are explaining, have students come up to the board and share what they know. Put students in groups and give meaningful activities. Use balls and other manipulatives to identify students for a response. Make these engaging strategies apart of your daily routine.

Handling Conflict: Please talk with our students about how to properly handle conflict. Encourage them to reach out to adults in the building to get help with situations that can potentially get them in trouble. Please convey the importance of working together resolve problems before they become bigger issues. It takes a village!

Student Work: Please start posting your best student work inside and outside your classroom in the hallways. You may also share by tagging WJK on social media.

Ask Yourself: What is the hook for today’s lesson that will keep them engaged? Is there an opportunity for my students to get up and move around with my lesson? How am I going to check for understanding? Am I giving students the opportunity to show me they have a grasp of the content? Am I using the DLE to enhance the lesson or am I simply giving electronic skill sheets?

Signing In and Out: If you need to leave campus for an emergency, please get approval from an administrator, and sign out in the main office. We are professionals.

PTSO: Please consider joining our Parent Teacher Student Association. It is a big part of communicating to our parents that we want to build a stronger partnership this year. The application is in the main office with Ms. Golston.

Our Mission

The mission of W. J. Keenan High School is to provide engaging educational opportunities through a rigorous curriculum, cutting edge technology, and partnerships to extend to our diverse community and produce first class citizens who will contribute to the present and excel in the future. WE ARE KEENAN!

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a nationally known high school that is highly regarded for its academic excellence, leadership in cutting edge technology, science, environmental, and career based programs. A high school that builds strong relationships with all stakeholders and continues a culture where the expectation is to lead, set the example, and raise standards for all to follow.

Email: vondre.whaley@richlandone.org
Website: http://keenan.richlandone.org/
Location: 361 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: 803-714-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keenanraiders/
Twitter: @wjkeenan